Femicide

The civil war that has been happening for the past twelve years in the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken over six million lives. Thirty times more than the earthquake in Haiti. But it constantly escapes the media's attention.

Why? Is it a matter of race? Another sad story about Africa? What is it about the civil war in Congo that makes no one want to report about it?

I am an avid believer in the idea that the more people know about a situation, the more people will try and do something to alleviate it. Sure, there's always the opportunity for compassion fatigue to set in, for the desire to see some happy headlines on the front page of the paper. But isn't risking compassion fatigue worth it?

What's going on in Congo is, according to Nicholas Kristof, the most lethal conflict since World War II. And the main target of aggression this time is women. What's going on in Congo is femicide. The United States government cannot act like it did during World War II, ignoring pleas for help until it was almost too late. The United States has to overlook its need for the minerals in Congo's land to save the women living on the land.



This weekend, at the productions of The Vagina Monologues, IC Human Rights will have a fact table set up outside the entrance. It's been absolutely amazing seeing the members of the club get together to make this table happen. We've made posters, fliers, fact sheets, and have written letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to ask the United States keep up the promise of "never again."

If you're in the Ithaca area, please come to the productions of the show and sign our petitions. A few signatures can really go a long way.

Also, here's a January 15, 2009 article from The Nation about other things you can do about the war in Congo. Eve Ensler, the playwright of The Vagina Monologues and the creator of the V-Day movement, helped compile the list.